Readable version:

Sometimes officiating in the big-time games has been very good. For examples the Cal-Virginia game was refereed at a high level, but I've seen some mid-major and lower level Division 1 games this year where the officiating has been very poor.

The problem are the NCAA directives about allowing freedom of movement and cutting back on physical play. However I do not see any consistency between games and from a fan perspective it is turning potentially good basketball games into wars of attrition with teams holding back from playing aggressive defense.

Basketball should be entertaining and good for the fans. Players are upset, fans are upset. Teams are shooting the bonus with more than 10 minutes remaining in the half. Refs are calling rebound fouls when they could have easily let them go. If a defensive player has position and gets the rebound then you can ignore the minimal body contact.

There is a lack of flow in the games -- off ball fouls are being called and when the replay is shown the tv commentators cannot understand why a foul is being called with so little contact or so little effect on the play. When an offensive player drives, it is likely there will be contact. Is it illegal contact? Maybe. But why does a ref have to call a foul if there is contact? How are players supposed to play defense now? You can't use your hands. If your man beats you and a teammate goes to help and the offensive player makes a little contact with him then your teammate gets called for the foul!

I was rooting for a team and there was a player who was driving into defenders and getting bailed out with the foul call -- even I was thinking half of them were bad calls that didn't need to be made. I learned early on that you do not need to blow your whistle every time there is contact and I do not understand why Division 1 referees have not learned that. Again, in part I blame the NCAA with all their new rules. Games should not be a chore to watch and that is what it is turning into for too many games.

EDIT: And don't give me that fanboy BS. There are people who will always gripe about the refs, but there have been too many games that are boring with no flow and it is because of how the games are being called. Now if you take two teams from the present day and have 90's-era refs work the game -- I guarantee you it would be a much more entertaining game with players, fans, and yes even the refs happy about how it was played.